The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-01-07
NINETEEN KILLED!
TERRIBLE RAILROAD ACCIDENT NEAR
TIPPIN, OHIO.

lrriN, W., JAZZ 4.-OuC vi thS
most horrible and heartrending acci.
deuts ever chronicled occurred near
Republic, about eight miles east ofhere,
at o'clock this morning. Att o'clock
an east bound freight train in charge
Of Conductor Fletcher pulled out of
this city, having received orders to
side track at the Scipo siding to
allow the east bound express to pass.
After the passenger train had gone
the conductor, being without special
orders, exercised his own Judgment,
and determined that as he had half
an hour TO make the switch at Re
public, little less than kve miles
distant, before the arrival of the fast
express from the east, due at that
point at o'clock, he pulled out.
The night was bitter cold and much
difficulty was experienced in keeping
up steam in the engine. Finally at
point hall a mile west Of Republic
the train came to standstill, being
unable to move fvrther. Just here
was made the horrible mistake which
resulted in the loss of many lives and
the destruction of thousands of
dollars worth of property. Although
the conductor ,aust have known that
he was encroaching dangerously near
the time OF the express, he did not
send out the signal until after his
train had come to a Standstill, and
he found it impossible to move
further. He then, started forward
with the lantern himself. At this
point there is sharp curve, and
Conductor Fletcher had not pro-
ceeded more than the length of
twenty cars when he saw the head
light OF the approaching express
rounding the curve not more than
forty rods distant, and running at
the lightning speed of sixtythree
miles per hour. Horror. stricken
with the knowledge that frightful
accident could not be averted, he
flashed his light in the face of the
engineer Lem Eastman. The latter
at the same moment saw the light Of
the freight engine, and, giving a
wild shrek of the whistle for brakes,
he reversed his engine and jumped
for his life, crushing through the
window of the cab, carrying glass and
sash with him and alighted in a
heavy snow drift. He escaped
serioes injury, his hurts being con-
fined to a slight wound upon the
knee. AS he realized the danger he
called to his fireman, William Fred
ericEs to save himself. The latter
was engaged in s,oking the fire, and
raised up and glanced forward as if
to estimate the danger. This was
fatal, as at that instant the crash
came, and poor Fredericks was
pinned and crushed by the mass Of
the wreck.
The engines of the two trains
reared into the air like a pair of
enraged monsters, and then settled
down upon the track, driven into
each other until the cylinders touched.
The force of the impact jammed the
baggage cars into the tender Of the
fast tram, the express car into the
baggage, and the smoker into the
express. In less than fye minutes
from the moment of the collision,
and before any organized effort at
rescue could be made, the fire of
the overturned stoves communicated
to the woodwork, and the flames
leaped high in the air, their roar
with the cries OF anguish of
the imprisoned victims, to whom
death in its most terrible form was n
horrid presence. The trainmen and |
passengers were powerless
and could do nothing to rescue the
sufferers.
Among the survivors of the wreck
on the Baltimore .& Ohio Road,
Harry Forester, of Baltimore, was
the most severely injured. To a
reporter ne said: ~ can't tell you
much about the way the thing hap
pened. 1t was quick as a fash, and
how l got through the millions of
splinters and falling timbers l don't
know. When got up the cars were
on fire, and / could hear the people
all crying out in agonized tones for
help. l was somewhat dazed, but
these cries brought me to realiza-
ton of the calamity. The sights
we're terrible. There seemed TO be
wounded people everywhere, and all
we're crying for aid. I was covered
with blood from the wounds on my
head, and could not do much to
assist. The groans of those in the
burning cars were awful. ! was near
The express messenger who was killed